A process cartridge is a cartridge which can be detachably installed into a main body of an imaging device and comprises a photosensitive cartridge, and the photosensitive cartridge comprises an electrophotographic photosensitive assembly, a charger, etc. The cartridge further comprises a developing cartridge which comprises one of processors such as a developer, a cleaner, etc. The process cartridge is detachably installed relative to the main body of the imaging device for convenience of maintenance. An electrophotographic imaging device using an electrophotographic imaging method functions in the following manner: an electrostatic latent image is formed by selectively exposing the electrophotographic photosensitive assembly which is uniformly charged by the charger under light from the imaging device; the electrostatic latent image is developed with the developer using a toner into a toner image; and the toner image thus formed is transferred onto a recording medium by a transferrer to form an image on a recording material.
The size of the imaging device tends to be smaller and smaller. In order to reduce the transportation cost of the process cartridge and the use cost of users, many manufacturers have made the photosensitive cartridge and the developing cartridge into individually replaceable structures. The service life of one photosensitive cartridge can offset the service life of multiple developing cartridges. When one developing cartridge reaches the service life, users only need to replace the developing cartridge and continue to use the original photosensitive cartridge.
The prior art provides an imaging device and a process cartridge. The process cartridge is divided into a first unit having an image bearing member and a second unit having a developer bearing member. The first unit is mounted in the imaging device in a separately detachable mode, the second unit is also mounted in the imaging device in a separately detachable mode, the second unit having the developer bearing member is detachably mounted in the imaging device along a mounting rail, and the second unit is provided with a force receiving part. A force applying part matched with the force receiving part is arranged in the imaging device, acts on the force receiving part and drives the second unit to move, so that the developer bearing member on the second unit and the image bearing member on the first unit can move between a contact position and a separation position. The second unit is provided with a deflectable universal joint for engaging with a driving head in the imaging device to receive a driving force from the imaging device. The universal joint structure has the following problems: repeated pivoting is required when engaging with and disengaging from the driving head in the imaging device, and unsmooth pivoting of the universal joint may be caused after long-term use, thus affecting the engagement between the universal joint and the driving head; besides, a pivoting center of the universal joint structure may be loosened during transportation due to excessive vibration, resulting in a failure of the universal joint.
Therefore, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the art to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.